Jump to content
Snow?
Local
Radar
Cold?
IGNORED

Virtual Chase Thread 2012


Cookie

Recommended Posts

Posted
  • Location: Aberystwyth, West Wales
  • Location: Aberystwyth, West Wales

Looks like they'll be playing with the Mexicans today! I'm going to be sitting west of San Antonio, probably in Uvalde, TX Posted Image

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Poole, Dorset 42m ASL
  • Location: Poole, Dorset 42m ASL

Is there anybody left on here that will be around for the next few days, everybody seems to ready to fly off,,,

Eastern Kansas ?? here we come

Edited by Dorsetbred
Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 1 month later...
Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)

These pictures look like scenes from the film Independence Day.

Posted Image

But although it might look like the end of the world has arrived they are in fact terrifying tempests, capable of devouring an entire landscape in just minutes. While most people would turn and run the other direction if they were ever confronted with a killer storm, one landscape photographer and a renowned storm chaser have spent three years getting dangerously close to the magnificent natural phenomenons to capture their natural beauty.

Mitch Dobrowner teamed up with storm chaser Roger Hill, travelling 40,000 miles to photograph the fast-moving natural spectacles, including monsoons, hurricanes, and the mighty 'mother of tornadoes' known as the 'supercell'. The pair witnessed more than 600 tornadoes and stalked roughly 45 weather systems across 16 states. Some days they drove 900 miles in a bid to capture the awe-inspiring beauty of nature’s more violent side in the American heartland. Between March and October, the Great Plains play host to thousands of violent storms. Just last year, thunderstorms in America caused $26billion worth of damage and scores of people die from weather-related injuries every year.

Mr Dobrowner, whose work is being showcased in the July edition of National Geographic magazine for iPad, said: ‘With storms, it’s like shooting a sporting event. Things happen so quickly. I really have to adapt’. The wild weather begins when dry air from the Rockies moves over moist air from the Gulf of Mexico creating perfect conditions for torrential rain and hail, thunder and lightning or severe winds. One storm the pair photographed, near Guymon, Oklahoma, crept over a farming community, bristling with electricity for more than an hour.

Posted Image

Mr Berlin and Mr Dobrowner also snapped a terrifying monsoon thunderstorm as it dropped a deluge on the desert in Lordsburg, New Mexico. The base of the cloud probably hangs a staggering two miles above the ground. Meanwhile, in Regan, North Dakota, they photographed a dying tornado last year, said to be in the ‘roping out’ phase. However, it's the supercells which really excites Mr Hill, said to be the rarest and most terrifying of all storms. Known as the 'mother of tornadoes', a mesocyclone can be up to six miles wide and can produce as many as 60 tornadoes. The wind coming into the storm starts to swirl and forms a funnel. The air in the funnel then spins faster and faster and creates a very low pressure area which sucks more air - and objects - into it. If the cyclone runs out of wet, warm surface air, it dies out. If it does not run out of this fuel, however, the rotating cloud stretches toward the ground and may become a giant tornado.

James LaDue, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service said: ‘No two storms are the same. No two skies are either’. But contrary to their reputation, storms are not all bad. They also pour rain on dry, thirsty crops, provide wind for inert wind turbines and nitrogen produced by lightning is given to nutrient-starved soil. Mr Dobrowner said he feels a great respect for storms. He said: 'I feel honored to be shooting them. If I’m going to go, let me go like this.'

Posted Image

http://www.dailymail...l#ixzz1yKmBhjsV

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 weeks later...
Posted
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)
  • Location: Eastbourne, East Sussex (work in Mid Sussex)

Storm-chaser: Capturing The Beast

Posted Image

Say hello to The Beast. Of hundreds of storms pursued and photographed since 1999 by veteran US storm-chaser Mike Hollingshead, this is the one he rates as most spectacular. "It's still pretty much my favourite, for its meanness, structure and longevity," he says.

Like many other storms he has followed, it's a supercell thunderstorm, caused by a single, powerful and rotating updraft of air travelling at speeds of 250 to 300 kilometres per hour. As a huge pocket of warm air rises, swirls and meets colder air, raindrops and hailstones the size of baseballs can form, and spectacular bolts of lightning are generated. Downdrafts travelling at more than 100 kilometres per hour fling the rain and hail to earth beyond the supercell structure.

In this photo the huge, black, right-angled cloud is the supercell itself, conveniently framing a stunning lightning display. The dark, bluish-green cloud to the left is dumping rain and hail.

Hollingshead recorded The Beast on 13 July 2009, tracking it for 6 hours from Kadoka in South Dakota to Valentine, Nebraska, where it fizzled out. He says that many supercells produce tornadoes, which he approaches to within 200 metres. The most stressful aspect is when the cars of other storm-chasers threaten to block his line of retreat. You can see more of Hollingshead's pictures, and a video of The Beast, at www.extremeinstability.com.

http://www.newscientist.com/blogs/shortsharpscience/2012/07/stormchaser-capturing-the-beas.html

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 3 months later...
Posted
  • Location: Aberystwyth, West Wales
  • Location: Aberystwyth, West Wales

Bringing this to the top ready for Friday and Saturday :D

Slight risk in already for Friday for TX and OK panhandles and western KS

post-4649-0-14243500-1349892959_thumb.gi

...PARTS OF CNTRL/SRN HIGH PLAINS...

ALTHOUGH JUST TO THE SOUTH OF A CYCLONIC 70-90 KT 500 MB JET STREAK

EXPECTED TO NOSE INTO THE CENTRAL HIGH PLAINS LATE FRIDAY

AFTERNOON...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED STORM DEVELOPMENT DOES APPEAR

POSSIBLE ACROSS THE TEXAS PANHANDLE HANDLE...NEAR THE REMNANT

SURFACE FRONT AND A DEVELOPING LEE SURFACE TROUGH/DRY LINE. THIS

MAY INCLUDE DISCRETE SUPERCELLS...AS MODESTLY STEEP MID-LEVEL LAPSE

RATES AND BOUNDARY LAYER WARMING CONTRIBUTE TO CAPE ON THE ORDER OF

1000 J/KG...IN THE PRESENCE OF STRONG SHEAR.

SOME OF THIS ACTIVITY MAY PERSIST WELL INTO THE EVENING HOURS...

WITH NEW DEVELOPMENT ALSO POSSIBLE...SPREADING NORTHEASTWARD ACROSS

AT LEAST PARTS OF WESTERN KANSAS INTO SOUTH CENTRAL NEBRASKA...IN

RESPONSE TO LOW-LEVEL THERMAL/MOISTURE ADVECTION AND STRENGTHENING

LARGE-SCALE FORCING FOR UPWARD VERTICAL MOTION. LARGE HAIL MAY BE

THE MOST PROMINENT SEVERE THREAT...BUT THE RISK FOR TORNADOES MAY

ACCOMPANY LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING ACTIVITY.

And for Saturday atm...

post-4649-0-18802100-1349893009_thumb.gi

..DISCUSSION...

UNCERTAINTIES PERSIST DUE TO LINGERING SPREAD AMONG MODELS AND MODEL

ENSEMBLES CONCERNING THE NORTHEASTWARD ACCELERATION OF A SIGNIFICANT

CLOSED LOW OUT OF THE SOUTHWESTERN STATES LATE THIS WEEK THROUGH THE

WEEKEND. HOWEVER...IT STILL APPEARS MOST PROBABLE THAT

INSTABILITY...DEEP LAYER FLOW FIELDS/SHEAR AND FORCING FOR UPWARD

VERTICAL MOTION WILL BECOME MOST SUPPORTIVE OF SEVERE WEATHER

POTENTIAL IN THE WARM SECTOR OF A SUB-1000 MB SURFACE CYCLONE ON

SATURDAY...AS IT MIGRATES ACROSS THE MID MISSOURI VALLEY...TOWARD

THE GREAT LAKES REGION. EVEN WITH ONLY WEAK DESTABILIZATION...THE

ENVIRONMENT NEAR A 70-90 KT SOUTHWESTERLY 500 MB JET STREAK AND

50-70 KT SOUTHERLY 850 MB JET COULD BECOME SUFFICIENT FOR A

SUBSTANTIVE REGIONAL SEVERE CONVECTIVE EVENT WITH DAMAGING WIND AND

PERHAPS TORNADOES.

IT MAY NOT BE COMPLETELY OUT OF THE QUESTION THAT THIS COULD

CONTINUE ACROSS PARTS OF THE OHIO VALLEY AND GREAT LAKES REGION

SATURDAY NIGHT INTO SUNDAY...BEFORE THE UPPER IMPULSE DEAMPLIFIES.

HOWEVER...INCREASING MODEL VARIABILITY CONCERNING THE EVOLUTION OF

THIS SYSTEM...COUPLED WITH PROBABILITY OF DECREASING AVAILABLE

INSTABILITY...RESULTS IN TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY TO EXTEND THE AREAL

DELINEATION. THEREAFTER...INTO THE MIDDLE OF NEXT WEEK...THE SPREAD

IN MODEL DATA CONCERNING LARGE-SCALE PATTERN DEVELOPMENTS BECOMES

MUCH TOO LARGE TO CONFIDENTLY ASSESS THE POTENTIAL FOR A REGIONAL

SEVERE WEATHER EVENT.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Aberystwyth, West Wales
  • Location: Aberystwyth, West Wales

Saturday up to SLIGHT risk already....Ireally should have been on a plane by now :(

post-4649-0-31201400-1349950556_thumb.gi

...UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS...

GIVEN THE STRENGTH OF THE WARM SECTOR DEEP LAYER MEAN FLOW

FIELDS/SHEAR AND FORCING FOR UPWARD VERTICAL MOTION...SEVERE

POTENTIAL ON SATURDAY MAY ULTIMATELY BE HIGHER THAN CURRENTLY

INDICATED BY THE SLIGHT RISK CATEGORICAL OUTLOOK. CONDITIONS MOST

SUPPORTIVE OF THIS POTENTIAL STILL APPEAR MOST PROBABLE TO EVOLVE

FROM PARTS OF EASTERN NEBRASKA AND KANSAS THROUGH CENTRAL AND

NORTHERN MISSOURI...IOWA AND ADJACENT PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN

MINNESOTA...SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN AND NORTHWESTERN ILLINOIS.

HOWEVER...UNCERTAINTY LINGERS CONCERNING THE DEGREE OF WARM SECTOR

BOUNDARY LAYER DESTABILIZATION THAT MAY OCCUR...DUE TO THE

POSSIBILITY OF CONSIDERABLE EARLY PERIOD CONVECTION WHICH MAY SLOW

OR INHIBIT INSOLATION. COUPLED WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED MODEL

VARIABILITY...TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY STILL EXISTS FOR HIGHER SEVERE

PROBABILITIES. BUT A SIGNIFICANT CONVECTIVE DAMAGING WIND EVENT

APPEARS A POSSIBILITY. IT MAY NOT BE OUT OF THE QUESTION THAT

CONDITIONS COULD BECOME FAVORABLE FOR TORNADIC SUPERCELLS.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Bamford, Rochdale
  • Weather Preferences: Summer - Storms Winter - Blizzards
  • Location: Bamford, Rochdale

Saturday up to SLIGHT risk already....Ireally should have been on a plane by now Posted Image

post-4649-0-31201400-1349950556_thumb.gi

...UPPER MISSISSIPPI VALLEY INTO THE SOUTHERN PLAINS...

GIVEN THE STRENGTH OF THE WARM SECTOR DEEP LAYER MEAN FLOW

FIELDS/SHEAR AND FORCING FOR UPWARD VERTICAL MOTION...SEVERE

POTENTIAL ON SATURDAY MAY ULTIMATELY BE HIGHER THAN CURRENTLY

INDICATED BY THE SLIGHT RISK CATEGORICAL OUTLOOK. CONDITIONS MOST

SUPPORTIVE OF THIS POTENTIAL STILL APPEAR MOST PROBABLE TO EVOLVE

FROM PARTS OF EASTERN NEBRASKA AND KANSAS THROUGH CENTRAL AND

NORTHERN MISSOURI...IOWA AND ADJACENT PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN

MINNESOTA...SOUTHWEST WISCONSIN AND NORTHWESTERN ILLINOIS.

HOWEVER...UNCERTAINTY LINGERS CONCERNING THE DEGREE OF WARM SECTOR

BOUNDARY LAYER DESTABILIZATION THAT MAY OCCUR...DUE TO THE

POSSIBILITY OF CONSIDERABLE EARLY PERIOD CONVECTION WHICH MAY SLOW

OR INHIBIT INSOLATION. COUPLED WITH THE AFOREMENTIONED MODEL

VARIABILITY...TOO MUCH UNCERTAINTY STILL EXISTS FOR HIGHER SEVERE

PROBABILITIES. BUT A SIGNIFICANT CONVECTIVE DAMAGING WIND EVENT

APPEARS A POSSIBILITY. IT MAY NOT BE OUT OF THE QUESTION THAT

CONDITIONS COULD BECOME FAVORABLE FOR TORNADIC SUPERCELLS.

id come with!!!!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Bamford, Rochdale
  • Weather Preferences: Summer - Storms Winter - Blizzards
  • Location: Bamford, Rochdale

You're serious ain't ya!!!!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Cold & Snowy, Summer: Just not hot
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire

Keeping a close eye on tomorrow, good chance of seeing my first supercell :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire
  • Weather Preferences: Winter: Cold & Snowy, Summer: Just not hot
  • Location: Cheddington, Buckinghamshire

Ooooh I see you're out there now! You got a team of students to go chase with?

Sure do! Got 8 fellow meteorologists from Reading and the Oklahoma met students said they'll take us out during the serious storm outbreaks in spring. Already in awe of the storms we've already had and they were barely severe!

Edited by Nick L
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Aberystwyth, West Wales
  • Location: Aberystwyth, West Wales

The north west part of that hatched box is actually in a chaseable area! I can't remember what they grow there, cotton is it? Anyway I'll sit in Pine Bluff ready and waiting :D

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Cumbria UK
  • Weather Preferences: Cloud 9
  • Location: Cumbria UK

Ah Pine Bluff I spent many a happy hour in Pine Bluff. Janette is in Little Rock.. land around pine Bluff is cotton, some rice and soya beans. it is pretty good chase country.

Tom

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Bamford, Rochdale
  • Weather Preferences: Summer - Storms Winter - Blizzards
  • Location: Bamford, Rochdale

Ah Pine Bluff I spent many a happy hour in Pine Bluff. Janette is in Little Rock.. land around pine Bluff is cotton, some rice and soya beans. it is pretty good chase country.

Tom

'to be chasing out thre now would be lovely!'

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Bamford, Rochdale
  • Weather Preferences: Summer - Storms Winter - Blizzards
  • Location: Bamford, Rochdale

i haveb ene watchign it on GRlevel 3 for an hour!

cant get away from it! look what you have turned me into Tom!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Posted
  • Location: Aberystwyth, West Wales
  • Location: Aberystwyth, West Wales

4 Tornado reports yesterday, 2 in Arkansas and 2 in Missisispsisispsisisppiiii. 3 injuries too Posted Image

Edited by Arron
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...